Mining US Tar Sands Would Threaten Western Water Supplies

30 million people from Wyoming to Southern California who depend on the Colorado River as a major source of water supply, including farmers who produce 15% of our nation's crops, could face unprecedented water shortages if oil shale development increases in the Colorado River Basin alongside unchecked climate change, according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Oil shale development in the US is analogous to tar sands development in Canada. We've written at length about the problems of tar sands . Right now - from August 20-September 3- thousands of people are conducting a sit-in at the White House to convince President Obama not to approve a tar sands sands pipeline from Canada. We'll write a separate article about how this sit-in is progressing. Until now, there's been little talk of duplicating Canada's bad mistake in the US, but here and there...